# Unknown photochemistry or geochemistry.

> Still possible: Unknown photochemistry or geochemistry.

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/venus-phosphine/answers/ANS0CQY23164PM1/unknown-photochemistry-or-geochemistry  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page)  

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[Questions](https://mysteriesdept.com/questions)[Phosphine in the clouds of Venus](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/venus-phosphine)[If phosphine is present, what produces it?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/venus-phosphine/questions/QST0CQY1V766YX6/if-phosphine-is-present-what-produces-it)Answer

Answer · Phosphine in the clouds of Venus

# Unknown photochemistry or geochemistry.

Unknown photochemistry or geochemistry.

**Still possible** Answers **1** questionPublished0

## Where it stands

**Still possible** Its tests haven't settled it: one piece of evidence for, one against. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

## What it predicts

- Laboratory or modelling work finds an abiotic pathway at the required rate.
- Other reduced species appear with phosphine.

## What would rule it out

- A complete kinetic network showing no abiotic route can reach the observed abundance under any plausible Venus conditions.

## Evidence 1 for · 1 against

[Pioneer Venus spectra suggest several reduced species and redox disequilibrium in the middle clouds.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/venus-phosphine/evidence/EVD0CQY23905V7C/pioneer-venus-spectra-suggest-several-reduced-species-and)

Suggestive

FOR

[No known gas-phase, surface, subsurface or photochemical route produces enough phosphine.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/venus-phosphine/evidence/EVD0CQY23GT4SWP/no-known-gas-phase-surface-subsurface-or-photochemical-route)

Suggestive

AGAINST

## The questions it answers

[If phosphine is present, what produces it?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/venus-phosphine/questions/QST0CQY1V766YX6/if-phosphine-is-present-what-produces-it)

Open3 answers, none ahead

## Cite it

```
Mysteries Department. (2026). Unknown photochemistry or geochemistry. [Answer ANS0CQY23164PM1]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/ANS0CQY23164PM1
```

Key

**ANS** 0CQY23164PM1

Kind

Answer · hypothesis

Origin

Published

Version

1

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